September 28, 2012

Garrett says McCray's work on special teams showed 'very instinctive things' that led to chance on defense

Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said the team didn’t have “high, high
expectations” for Danny McCray three years ago when he was an undrafted rookie
out of LSU.

But he held him up as an example of a player whose work on special
teams earned him a bigger chance on defense, where the Cowboys need him now
following the season-ending Achilles injury to Barry Church.

“It goes back to that expression that he’s a football player,”
Garrett said at his press conference Friday at Valley Ranch. “You see him do a
lot of very instinctive things on special teams. Whether or not they have the
traits to play the particular position on offense or defense, you don’t know
that. But the more chances we’ve given him to do things, he always seems to
surprise us and say, ‘Yeah, I can do that. Yeah, I can do that. I can play
there. I can cover that guy.’ ”

Garrett said McCray has also grown as a defensive player.

“Had been a guy we played around the line of scrimmage mostly in
his first couple of years when he played on defense, but he’s shown that he can
be a back end player as well,” Garrett said. “He’s a good player. He’s
instinctive. He has a nose for the football. He tackles well. He sees the field
well.”